Shaken
by WLiiAfanatic
Summary: ON HIATUS. Wanda's learning the hard way that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Other than Amalia, I do not own any of the characters used and referred to in this story. That goes for this chapter and all others that follow it.

**Author's Note: **This would be my second time trying to get this story on the site. The first try, for some reason, was just plagued with really odd problems. Hopefully, things will go better this time.

I've wanted to do a story where Wanda's mother comes back into her life since pretty much "For Love or Garbage Trucks", but I was having trouble coming up with a way to make it a Wanda/Cosmo story instead of a Big Daddy story, which probably wouldn't have gone over all that well. _Finally_, I figured out how to make it a romance, and give Big Daddy and Blonda their moments in the spotlight.

I know it seems pretty involved with Big Daddy and his "wife" right now, but this chapter was just to provide the complete backstory and help introduce the main plot. Everyone's favorite fairy couple will show up in the next chapter. I promise! 

**Chapter One - What Are You Doing Here?**

In life, you're extremely lucky if you have a best friend. Someone you can count on. Someone who you knew would always be there when you need them. And you're even luckier if you can manage to find love. Not the kind of love between a person and the family dog, or the kind of love a baseball fan feels for their favorite player when they bring the team to the World Series. But the love between two people, so powerful that every time you kiss them, you're left breathless.

In Amalia's case, her best friend and her lover were the same person.

She'd known him since they were in elementary school. She quickly grew close to him and his two brothers, to the point where she was basically part of the family. It had taken him about three seconds to realize he loved her, but it'd taken Amalia until their last year in high school to realize she loved him.

They were engaged within one year. Her family paid for a beautiful wedding, they'd taken an incredible honeymoon, and nine months later they had twin daughters.

That was the day Amalia realized things were going horribly wrong.

In life, you're lucky if you have that magical moment when you know what you want to do with your life. Amalia experienced that, too. For her thirteenth birthday, her parents pulled some strings and got her into the audience for a taping of her favorite TV sitcom. Before the second line was out of the actor's mouth, she was absolutely certain she was going to be infront of a camera. When? She didn't know. How? She didn't have the slightest clue. But she never quite got over that birthday, and as the years went by, she grew more and more determined.

When Amalia started highschool, she began going to every audition she could find in Fairy World, despite the fact that she had no training in acting whatsoever. Sooner than she ever thought possible, casting directors were getting sick of her and her unconvincing line readings. But she did catch the eye of one young woman working at the studio who managed to get her a secretarial job.

Figuring she had more of a shot at getting a role now that she would be seeing very important people nearly every day, Amalia started taking her talent (or lack thereof) more seriously. She'd taken dozens of classes, spent many nights working on pronouncing words more clearly, and eventually, at one audition she'd gone to, she got a group of smiles instead of frowns and the standard, "Don't call us, we'll call you."

Of course, that was around the time her best friend and boyfriend had gotten his start in the garbage business. And around the time he popped the question. Faster than she ever imagined, they were married and expecting twins. Despite the acting ability she'd come to have, she couldn't land a job. As it would turn out, nobody in Fairy World was looking for a pregnant actress. She even lost her position at the station. How could she possibly work a full week with baby girls she would need to take care of?

Simultaneously, Amalia's husband's business was steadily increasing in popularity. And much to her horror, things only got better for his career when their two daughters were born. People _loved_ family men. Actresses with two newborns? Not so much. Nobody wanted that much crying on a set.

Amalia couldn't help denying it. When her daughters were finally old enough to start school, she figured she could start auditioning again. But whenever there was a free day in her schedule, something seemed to come up at the last minute. For three years, she got angrier and angrier every time one of her daughters was sent home from school with a fever, or when she needed to make an appearance at a business party for her husband. What was worst, though, was the school plays. Every single one reminded her of her thirteenth birthday, and how she never did make it on TV.

Finally, the bitter reality sank in. While her husband was living out every dream he'd ever had, she had to give her's up for two bratty children who she wasn't even ready to have in the first place.

That's when she snapped.

One night, when her husband was out and her daughters were sound asleep in their bedrooms, Amalia went completely berserk; pulling all her clothes out of her closet and drawers, throwing the articles she wanted to keep in a suitcase and dropping the ones she didn't care for on the floor. She didn't want to take any jewelry with her, other than what she was wearing that evening. None of it was purchased with money she'd earned herself. None of them were gifts from directors who wanted to congratulate her on one hundred fabulous episodes of Fairy World's most popular show.

It was when she was knocking it all off her dresser that she noticed the wedding ring on her finger.

Suddenly extremely calm, Amalia walked over to her bed, which was where the suitcase was laying. She snapped the bronze latches shut, breaking off a fake fingernail in the process. She pulled the ring off her finger, gingerly placed it in the center of the bed she'd never bothered to make that morning, picked up the suitcase by the handle, and floated out of the front door as if she was about to take a leisurely stroll around the block.

For the first few years, she'd made out all right. It was a welcome surprise how many drunken men were "willing" to "hand over" their wallets. She'd get quite a sum of money every night. More than she'd charged, even. Ordinarily, she would have called taking that money "stealing". But now it was survival.

She'd graduated from prostitution to unstable, abusive relationships in about twenty-four months, and at one point she even had an apartment of her own to live in. But she ran out of money quickly, mainly because abusive boyfriends tend to be kinda poor, and ended up living on a street corner, more miserable than she'd ever been.

One morning, just as the sun was coming up, she'd caught sight of a newspaper an elderly fairy near her was using as a blanket. The main headline was nothing important to her, but a brief article in the bottom right hand corner informed readers of the wedding of Big Daddy's daughter.

Amalia was flooded with memories of her husband, her daughters, and the life she'd given up during a moment of pure insanity.

In life, you're lucky if you get a second chance at happiness that you'd let pass you by. Amalia didn't deserve it, she was going to ask anyway.

* * *

Big Daddy, once again, was just getting through spending another sleepless night in his office. Taxes were murder on a man like him. They were the only thing he absolutely had to do without the aid of bribery or threats. Finally, after writing off everything he possibly could as a business expense, he was done and more than ready to get home to his bed. He picked up his wand and began to magically transport himself into his bedroom, but stopped mid-wave. A voice inside his head told him to float there instead. 

The businessman groaned. Who cares that his house was only a few yards from his office? He was tired, damnit! But Big Daddy couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen, so he obeyed his stupid head and carried his stupid body over to his stupid house...

...to find Amalia curled in a ball on his front steps.

Big Daddy was too stunned to breathe, let alone float. All he was able to do was hover over his lawn and stared at his former wife. Who technically still was his wife, now that he was thinking about it. She'd never gotten divorce papers. She'd just messed up their bedroom and took off her wedding ring, leaving him confused and heartbroken.

Big Daddy had always imagined seeing her again. In the daydream, she'd always looked as beautiful as he remembered. Amalia's appearance now, though, was not as pleasant. Her clothes had clearly seen better days. Her crown was scratched and dented in a few places. Her hair was greasy and much longer than he'd ever seen it. Her fingernails were bitten down and dirty. Her face and what he could see of her legs and feet were covered with scars and bruises. She didn't even have a wand with her to fix it all.

This absolutely thrilled Big Daddy at first. As far as he was concerned, Amalia deserved it for what she'd done to her family. But then he got a close look at her eyes. What he recalled as being the most beautiful thing about his wife's appearance were now terribly bloodshot and filled with tears.

Out of nowhere, he was overcome with sadness. He studied at the wedding band that was still on his finger, and for the first time since that horrible night, Big Daddy was confronted with what he'd been trying to ignore for way too many years.

He was still hopelessly in love with Amalia.

Suddenly choked up, he manged to ask his wife, "What are you doing here?"

Amalia looked up, startled, as if she hadn't noticed him staring at her before. Her eyes met his, and she started sobbing. "Please," she whimpered. "Help me."

* * *

Within five minutes, Big Daddy and Amalia were seated across from each other at the dining room table. It had taken far too long for Amalia to explain what had gone on since she'd left her husband, which Big Daddy found very annoying. The one part of the story she never seemed to get around to had been one of the most important unanswered questions of his life. He couldn't believe she wasn't saying anything about it. 

"So," Amalia said, done with her tales of street walking and abuse (all of which, for reasons he didn't fully understand, Big Daddy had taken as cheating), "uh... what have you been up to?"

Big Daddy gave her a long, hard stare. "Why did you do it, Amalia?"

Amalia started playing with her fingers in her lap, sighing as if she'd been expecting the question, but didn't answer. Always persistent, Big Daddy didn't hesitate to ask again, stare unwavering. "Why did you leave?"

"I was... jealous," she blurted out. Now upset, her hands and eyes became much more expressive. "Anrgy and frustrated and _jealous_. You were out living your dreams and making your life worth something, while I was stuck in this stupid house with those stupid little girls--"

"Hey!" Big Daddy barked. "Don't you _dare_ insult my daughters!"

Amalia gulped. Big Daddy could clearly see that she'd remembered who she was talking to. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.

Unsure of what he should say in response, Big Daddy angrily whispered, "Good."

"I just couldn't take it anymore," Amalia continued her speech more calmly, but with tears in her voice. "I had to throw away all my ambitions while you got to be successful. It just wasn't fair."

"Amalia," Big Daddy said sternly, "you never went about that acting thing the right way. There was no rhyme or reason to--"

"_That acting thing_?" Amalia interrupted, angry once again. "That was more than just some _thing_! That was my dream! That was all I ever really wanted in life. And you and your daughters ripped it right out of my hands!"

"In case you've forgotten, they're your daughters, too!"

Amalia sighed. "You're right."

"And it _really_ hurt them when you left," Big Daddy added. He didn't want to remind himself of the looks on their faces for anything, but he had to. If he didn't get Amalia to feel bad about running off, the "conversation" would be a complete waste of time. "They had to endure your quiet suffering for eight years. They--well, Wanda, at least--always tried to make things easy for you. And then you pakced your bags and left them. You probably don't remember this, but they loved you like crazy. The same way any child feels about their mother."

Amalia scoffed.

"Do not," Big Daddy jumped up and increased the volume in his voice, slamming his palms down on the table, "for one second, pass that off as nothing! You didn't deserve their love, Amalia! And you don't deserve mine, either!"

Where the last sentence had come from, he didn't know. But he was positive it was a mistake to say it as soon as he saw that hopeful smile spread across Amalia's face.

"You..." she whispered. "You... still love me?"

When Big Daddy saw tears of happiness gathering in Amalia's eyes, he completely forgot being mad. He forgot all the pain she'd put him through. All he could remember was that sweet little girl he'd met in his second grade classroom.

"I do, Amalia," he said.

The tears in the red-haired fairy's eyes spilled over onto her face. "Do you... Do you think we can give it another shot?"

There wasn't a single second of hesitation. "Yeah. We can."

Amalia laughed. Big Daddy laughed. Before they knew what was going on, they were passionately kissing on top of the table.

Neither one of them happened to notice that Blonda had poofed into the room on "still love me".


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Yay! It worked the second time! And a couple people are actually interested! So here's another chapter.

**Chapter Two - This is Our Second Chance!**

Wanda never in her life imagined that seven days could go by in what seemed like seven minutes. But before she knew it, it was the last morning of her honeymoon. She and her new husband, Cosmo, somehow managed to wake up early to watch the sunrise, and were now cuddling just outside the hotel, not wanting to leave for anything in the world.

Since the day before her wedding, Wanda had been nothing but happy. Who wouldn't be? Everything was absolutely flawless. Her father had accepted the fact that she could be in love with someone and not forget all about her family, her wedding had gone perfectly, and the honeymoon...

Oh, the honeymoon.

Cosmo wasn't good at many things, but from what Wanda had seen the past six evenings, showing how much he loved her was not one of them. Normally a somewhat timid fairy, Cosmo had been very hesitant to show any kind of affection, and usually asked permission before kissing Wanda or even holding her hand. But something--the thrill of being married, perhaps--made him forget his shyness and prove that he wasn't just saying all those things that made Wanda accept his proposal in the first place.

Neither one of the fairies could believe the week was coming to an end.

For what must have been the hundredth time that morning, Cosmo asked, "Do we _really_ have to go home today, Wanda?"

Always sensible, Wanda smiled and answered with, "I'm afraid we do."

"Can we stay like this a few minutes longer? Please?"

Wanda nodded, and she felt her husband kiss her forehead, making her smile grow wider. "I love you, Cosmo."

"I love you too, Wanda."

Wanda sighed happily and nestled her head in her husband's shoulder. Could this moment possibly be any more perfect?

Yes, it could.

If it didn't have to end.

As much as Wanda wanted to lay there in Cosmo's arms forever, something told her that she ought to get back to their apartment. The more she tried to shake the feeling, the more powerful it became. It snapped her back into reality, and she sat up. "Cosmo?" she asked.

"Hmm?" replied her husband, still lost in the moment, despite the fact that he was no longer holding Wanda.

"I think we need to go home now."

"Aww, why?" Cosmo moaned, clearly disappointed. "I don't want it to end now!"

"Neither do I," Wanda told him, the feeling getting stronger by the second. She was getting scared now. This rarely ever happened to her. In fact the last time she could remember such a powerful sense of urgency was ten years ago.

The night her mother left.

Suddenly she was terrified, and her stomach flipped in a sickening way. Cosmo must have seen her facial expression change, because he lifted his wand and told Wanda, "Okay. We can go home."

* * *

  
Wanda didn't expect to find any clue to the reason behind her fear the second she got to her new apartment, but she did. The first thing she saw when she and Cosmo arrived was her twin sister, Blonda. 

"Good!" the towheaded fairy said to Wanda when she'd noticed her in the room. "You're home. I knew you two were supposed to be back today, but I wasn't sure when, so I just decided to wait here for you. I figured you wouldn't mind. You don't mind, do you?"

Startled by her sister's rapid speech, Wanda didn't say anything.

"Oh, whatever. Wanda, the most _incredible_ thing happened last night!"

"Really?" Cosmo asked, excited even though Blonda had never said it involved him.

Blonda glanced at the green-haired fairy next to Wanda as if she hadn't noticed him poof in. Shaking her head, she continued to her sister. "So, you know I have that play at the community theater tomorrow, right? Well, I wanted to run through my lines again before bed last night, but I couldn't find my script, so I decided to go to Daddy's house to see if I left it there, and guess who he was talking to in the dining room!"

"Who?" Wanda asked unenthusiastically. She didn't want anything to do with Blonda right now. She wanted to figure out what had caused her to feel so strangely and ruin the last glorious moments of her honeymoon.

"_Mom_!"

Wanda's stomach flipped again. "Our... mother?"

Blonda nodded, her eyes filling with tears of joy. "Yes! And you'll never guess what Daddy said to her!"

_Please_, Wanda pleaded in her head. _Don't let her say--_

"He told her he still loved her! They started kissing and everything, Wanda! I was so excited I couldn't contain myself. I flew right over to them and hugged them." Blonda paused for a breath. "Isn't this fantastic?"

_--that Daddy still loves her._

Wanda's fear was replaced with numbness. "Fantastic?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

Blonda looked genuinely confused. "Don't you get it, Wanda? This is our second chance! This is a golden opportunity to be a family again! Everything is going to be just like it used to be! Mom's even going to come see me in the play tomorrow night! I should probably get home and go over my lines again, just in case. Ugh, this is _so_ nerve-wracking, between Mom being in the audience and being observed by that casting director. But I think I'll be all right. Anyway, I'm going to get going. I'll see you tomorrow night!" With the wave of her wand, Blonda had left the apartment.

"Boy," Cosmo said, staring at the spot where his sister-in-law just was, "she sure can talk fast!"

Wanda was frozen in the center of the room, still trying to process all that Blonda had told her. She just couldn't get it to register. After so many years, her mother just decided to come back? And her father just decided to let her? Since when did Big Daddy willingly let people walk into his life without a fight? He didn't, as far as she remembered! And what was all the business about him still loving her? Wanda never knew her father to forgive and forget. And she just didn't see how anyone could forgive what her mother had done.

Nobody _sane_ would, anyway.

She couldn't believe how excited Blonda was over the whole situation. Of course, they had always been different in that way. Blonda was never cautious about letting people in. Wanda, however, was. _Very_. It was hard enough trusting the people she knew cared about her. With someone like her mother, it would be so much worse. How could Wanda be sure that she wouldn't leave this time?

It didn't come as much of a surprise to Wanda when her mother took off. She'd suspected something was wrong when she was six years old, but since her mother never complained about anything, she assumed it wasn't worth worrying about. But still, Wanda couldn't help but notice the angry look in her mother's eyes that showed itself whenever she'd been forced to spend time with her daughters. It scared Wanda, but she had always denied seeing anything, figuring that it was impossible for a parent to detest her own children so much.

Shows how smart she was.

Wanda remembered the night her mother left so clearly, it was like it was ten minutes ago instead of ten years. Around midnight, she'd woken up from a bad dream. Normally she wasn't fazed by them, but this time was different. For hours she'd tossed and turned, trying fruitlessly to get back to sleep. All the while, there was this feeling of impending doom occupying her abdomen, getting worse and worse by the minute. As the feeling grew stronger, Wanda grew more nervous, and finally the two feelings became so unbearable that she woke her sister up in the bed next to hers.

Blonda told Wanda that she was insane and tried to fall asleep again, but Wanda refused to let her. After several minutes of persuasion, Blonda escorted her twin to their parents' bedroom, hoping that their mother would be able to help the problem. The first thing the girls noticed upon entering the room was that the light, for some reason, was on. Wanda looked down at the bed, expecting to see her mother sleeping peacefully, but all that was there was a mess of sheets and clothing.

Wanda's memories were interrupted by Cosmo. "Wanda? Are you okay?"

The pink-haired fairy cleared her throat. "Yes, Cosmo," she said with a faint smile. "I'm fine."

Cosmo looked as if he didn't want to believe her, but nodded anyway. "Okay. So, um... should we go see your parents now?"

Wanda hadn't considered that as a possibility, and it didn't appeal to her in the slightest. As much as she'd love to tell her mother off, she couldn't face her. Or her father, for that matter. What would he say to her when he found out she couldn't even fake happiness?

"No, Cosmo," she answered. "I'm going to lie down for a bit."

"Oh," her husband answered, obviously confused. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"Please don't," Wanda whispered, her eyes suddenly filling with tears. She flew past her bewildered husband to her bedroom.

* * *

  
Later that afternoon, Cosmo was hovering in front of the closed door that separated him from his new wife, debating whether or not to enter the room and ask if she was okay. She'd been in there quite a while, hadn't she? Or maybe this wasn't long at all. Maybe Cosmo was just imagining all the hours that had seemingly gone by. 

He couldn't even fully comprehend why Wanda's parents loving each other made her so upset. Probably because he'd never heard the full story. All Cosmo knew was that Wanda's mom disappeared when she was a little girl, and that it was really upsetting for the family. Wouldn't Wanda want her parents to be in love again? Why didn't it make her happy?

Cosmo sighed. This wouldn't be so difficult for a _smart_ fairy.

He eventually decided, though, that a caring husband would be there for his wife at a time like this, so Cosmo tapped on the door and gently called, "Wanda?"

There was a pause, followed by a weary, "You can come in, Cosmo."

Cosmo turned the knob, only to find the door was locked. He tried twisting it a few more times before realizing that he could just poof himself inside.

Cosmo wasn't sure what to expect when he entered the room. After all, he'd never seen Wanda act like she did that morning. She was normally a much stronger fairy than that. This probably explained why she wasn't crying anymore. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"What?" Wanda asked.

"You're not crying now."

Wanda smiled. "That was kind of a silly thing to cry over, wasn't it?"

Cosmo shrugged. "I don't even know exactly why you were crying. Because your mother came back?"

Wanda nodded, and motioned for Cosmo to join her on the bed. He accepted the invitation, and let his wife rest her head on his shoulder when he sat down. "Cosmo, my mother isn't a very considerate person," Wanda explained. "She gets jealous over the stupidest things, and she isn't happy for anyone unless everything in her life was working out, too."

Cosmo nodded, trying his best to understand. "Is that why she left? Because she was jealous of you?"

"Not of me," Wanda answered. "Of Daddy, I think, and his success with his business. That makes the most sense, anyway. She never told us exactly why she went away. But I know that Blonda and I didn't make her very happy. Probably because we messed up her chances of being an actress or something. She never told us why she didn't like us, either."

Cosmo was unsure of how to respond, so he just nodded again. He could see Wanda was getting angry, and she lifted her head of his shoulder as she continued.

"She never even told us she hated us!" Wanda shouted. "But I always knew. She always looked at me like I was some demon child if I ever needed help with a math problem or medicine for a fever. But she could never just say 'I hate you, Wanda'. She had to hold it in her entire life! She could never just say what she wanted to say! She just let it build up forever!"

"Like you do?"

The look of hurt on Wanda's face felt to Cosmo like a punch in the stomach, even though he didn't know why his question had hurt her. All he was trying to do was understand what was going on in her life so he could make her feel better. And it wasn't like he hated Wanda because she bottled her feelings up inside her. It was just something he'd noticed recently, like when her father didn't approve of their marriage. "I--I'm sorry, Wanda," he said. "I didn't mean to--"

"No," Wanda stopped him. "You... you're right, Cosmo."

Cosmo didn't like the look in his wife's eyes; a mixture of pain and something else... something difficult for him to identify. He realized he wasn't at all proud of his correct answer, and he wasn't all that sure why. "Was it... good that I was right, Wanda?"

Suddenly, Wanda buried her face in the pillow behind her and began sobbing. Cosmo was even more confused. Normally Wanda was happy for Cosmo when he was right about something. Now it made her cry? He tried to put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her, but she jerked it away and cried harder. That was even more perplexing. Usually things like that made her feel better, at least a little. Cosmo began to get worried. "Wanda, what did I--"

"Leave me alone!" Wanda moaned into the pillow.

"Are you sure?" Cosmo asked. Would a good husband leave his wife alone like that when she was so upset? He doubted it. But when Wanda didn't give a response, he decided it was probably best that he listened to her. With a shuddery sigh, he poofed himself out of the room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **So, (hopefully) faithful readers, do you hate me? I swear, I never meant to wait this long to upload Chapter 3. The Big Daddy scene at the end was just so hard to write for some reason, and then school started and I kinda just forgot about it. But I don't have any intentions of abandoning this story, or making you all wait two months between chapters _ever _again.

**Chapter 3 - I Was Trying To Make Everything Better!**

Wanda sat on her bed, eyes locked on the floor beneath her, the same words continuously cycling through her mind. _It wasn't intentional. He was just trying to understand. It wasn't intentional. It wasn't intentional..._

Maybe it wasn't meant as an insult, but it sure did hurt like one. Sure, Wanda had acknowledged that she tried pretty hard to keep her problems private. But she couldn't connect that trait to her mother until she'd heard Cosmo say it. That made her feel pretty stupid. If it was obvious to Cosmo, it must have been _really_ obvious to everybody else.

_There could be a difference_, Wanda decided. She thought about it. Throughout her life, Wanda had endured her pain silently to keep other people from worrying about her, and because she didn't want to burden everyone with her problems. Why did her mother do it? To keep her jealousy from her husband? Yes, that made sense. But why didn't she want Big Daddy to know how upset she was over the situation? It couldn't have been to spare his feelings; she was too self-centered to care about that. It certainly wasn't to help start her acting career; being so stressed and irritable would never amount to anything good in any work environment. Besides, she _loved_ attention. She _craved_attention.

Then again, Wanda did have a lot of memories of her mother pushing her father away whenever he picked up on her internal suffering. She always snapped at people when they asked her if she was alright...

She hated when people worried about her, too.

Wanda tried to contradict that with something her mother had said or done, but she couldn't come up with anything. There was no possible way to deny it anymore. The personality trait Wanda shared with her mother was the one that ruined her life. It was the same quiet sadness that drove her mother to tear the family apart.

What was it going to do to Wanda's marriage to Cosmo? It probably wouldn't have any effect right away, but what about in the next eight years? She and Cosmo could have a godchild by then. Kids of their own, even! What would Wanda end up doing to them? And what would happen to her husband?

Suddenly, Wanda remembered what brought on Cosmo's comment in the first place. Her mother had come back. Her mother wanted her old life again. According to Blonda, her mother still loved her father.

All at once, Wanda's attitude completely changed. Who cared that she broke her father's heart? Who cared that a decade had gone by without a single word? Who cared that she was a self-centered jerk? _She came back_. And as long as everything worked out the second time around, _both_ marriages were safe.

Wanda lay back on the bed with a nervous sigh. She wondered how her father felt about the whole situation, and hoped more than anything he was as happy as he used to be.

* * *

Cosmo was leaning against a wall in his living room, dumbfounded. He and Wanda had barely been married two weeks and he'd already messed everything up. With three words! Only a class-A idiot could pull that off as easily as Cosmo did.

As he was mentally kicking himself, Cosmo heard a poof in the kitchen. Hoping it was Wanda, he eagerly floated the few feet to the next room, only to find another familiar fairy floating there. Suddenly shaking from head to toe, Cosmo asked, "Big Daddy? What are you doing here?"

Big Daddy turned around to face Cosmo. "Where's Wanda?"

Cosmo hesitated. Wanda said she wanted to be left alone. Did that include her father, too? "Um..."

The expression on Big Daddy's face changed from concerned to suspicious. "Did you do something to her?"  
"No!" Cosmo answered quickly. "Well, yes. Maybe. I think. I don't know!"

His father-in-law's eyes narrowed dramatically. "You better have a good story."

Cosmo backed up as Big Daddy slowly floated toward him, pushing him into the living room, and attempted to give an explanation. "A-after B-B-Blonda came and told Wanda what happened, sh-she got really upset and I wanted to make her feel better but I didn't understand what was going on--"

"That's a shock," Big Daddy said in a caustic tone.

Cosmo cleared his throat. His back was against the wall now. "S-so I started asking her questions and..."

"_And what?_" Big Daddy barked.

"Andonemadeherreallyupsetandshetoldmetoleaveheralone."

Big Daddy looked angrier for a second, but it didn't take him long to calm down.

"I didn't mean to made her sad, Big Daddy," Cosmo continued, feeling a little braver as Big Daddy's facial expression softened. The intimidating fairy even backed up a little so Cosmo could move away from the wall. "I was trying to make everything better!"

Big Daddy sighed. "Okay, Cosmo. I believe you."

Cosmo nodded, but felt his face show his confusion.

"It wouldn't have made much sense for you to hurt her intentionally, would it?"

Cosmo shook his head. Even he knew that was true.

"Could you please just let me see her?" Big Daddy asked in a very odd tone. Cosmo recognized frustration, and maybe a little bit of... was that _sadness_? "I need to talk to her."

Cosmo pondered the question. If Big Daddy really was upset over the whole thing, it wouldn't be a smart decision for Cosmo to keep Wanda's location from him. But what about what Wanda wanted? If she wanted to be alone, and he let Big Daddy in the bedroom, wouldn't she be even more upset? Cosmo decided that having Big Daddy mad at him would be a lot less difficult than having Wanda mad at him, even if his father-in-law could have him in the intensive care unit at the snap of a finger. "No. You can't see her."

Big Daddy's eyes narrowed again. "Why not?"

Cosmo gulped. "She said she wanted to be left alone. If I let you see her, she wouldn't be alone anymore. And then she'd be even more upset. All because of me."

"Cosmo..." Big Daddy groaned.

"Please don't be mad!"

There was a squeaking coming from behind Big Daddy. Cosmo recognized it as the noise the bedroom door made when you opened it really slowly. Next, he heard a familiar voice. "Daddy?"

Cosmo and Big Daddy turned around, and saw Wanda standing in the doorway. Cosmo couldn't help feeling relieved when he didn't see tears in her eyes, but he could tell she was still sad, and that made him feel bad all over again.

Wanda smiled at her father, then turned to Cosmo. "I'm glad you don't want me to be upset, Cosmo," she said, "but I do want to talk to Daddy. Okay?"

Cosmo was a little jealous, but nodded anyway.

* * *

Wanda invited her father into the bedroom, and used her magic to soundproof it. She needed the freedom to say whatever she wanted to say to her father without Cosmo listening outside.

Big Daddy didn't do anything for a moment, then out of nowhere, he hugged her. "I've missed you, Sweetheart."

All at once, Wanda remembered that she hadn't seen her father in a week. That was the longest they'd ever been apart. How could she be mad at him when she hadn't spoken to him in so long? Wanda couldn't help but return the hug. "I missed you, too." Pulling away, she added, "And, according to Blonda, I also missed something else."

Big Daddy gave a soft laugh. "I knew your sister would come right over here and tell you everything."

Wanda wasn't quite sure what she wanted to say next, so she settled for the first thing that came to mind. "Did you really tell her you loved her, Daddy?"

Big Daddy hesitated. "Yes, but... it's complicated, Wanda. And that's not what I came in here to talk about."

Wanda was disappointed, but tried not to show it. "What _did_ you want to talk about, then?"

"Amalia wants to see you," Big Daddy said in response.

Wanda didn't say anything. Did she want to see her mother? She definitely didn't want to go right away. But she knew she had to. Wanda needed to see everything with her own eyes to believe that this was really going to work out--for her family, and for her marriage.

"You don't want to," Big Daddy said after Wanda was silent for a while.

"No, Daddy, I do," Wanda answered. "I just need a little more time to get used to all of this."

Big Daddy smiled faintly. "Okay, I understand."

Wanda was relieved. "Daddy, you seem so much... calmer."

Wanda's father just grinned in response. Inwardly, Wanda beamed. This was definitely good. _Great_, even. Her father was happy. Her mother must have been happy, too, if she was still there. It really looked like it was all going to work!

"I guess," Big Daddy said, "I'll go back home now."

"Okay, Daddy."

Before exiting, Big Daddy said to his daughter, "Hey, Wanda? Talk to Cosmo. As much as I hate him, I don't think I can stand seeing him so confused."

Wanda frowned. It never _really_ occurred to her that this would all be hard for Cosmo, too, especially since their marriage was on the line. "I will, Daddy."

"Good," Big Daddy said. He kissed his daughter on the cheek and poofed away.

With a heavy sigh, Wanda opened the door and floated into the living room, readying herself to answer whatever questions Cosmo had for her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **I'm gonna be honest with you guys; the reason this chapter took so long to get up is... I absolutely hate it. I almost threw in the towel and stopped the story, that's how much I don't like it. But it's all kind of important to what's going to happen later, especially my very long conversation between Blonda and Wanda. So it pretty much needed to be done.

You all must be so impatient by now, between the waiting for updates and the lack of Amalia scenes. I promise she'll be in the next chapter, which will be the one that pretty much inspired this story, so hopefully it'll be easier (and more fun) to write. And as far as updating goes, the only day I can get any good writing done seems to be Sunday, since I'm usually going out of my mind looking for something to do while waiting for The Simpsons (hello, my name is Kayla, and I have a problem...). Maybe I'll actually write _every_ Sunday now instead of just Sundays when I don't feel like playing video games and eating tortilla chips.

Well, this author's note should probably come to a close now. Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter Four - Well, **_**You're**_** Attitude Has Certainly Changed**

Cosmo was lying in his bed and staring at the ceiling, letting everything he'd heard in the past few hours sink in. It was still early, barely eight o'clock, but Wanda was already asleep, her head resting on Cosmo's chest. After her father had left, she'd told Cosmo the whole story, from when she first started noticing her mother behaving strangely to how she felt that afternoon when she was talking to Big Daddy. Cosmo could tell it wasn't easy for her to tell him everything--her voice had broken during certain parts, and once she even started crying and had to stop--so he payed close attention to every word, hoping that would mean she'd never have to say it all again.

He had gotten quite a bit from that story. The entire day seemed a lot easier to understand, and he thought he'd learned everything. But as Cosmo lay there in the quiet bedroom, he felt like there was something Wanda had forgotten to explain.

Cosmo replayed the afternoon in his head, trying to remember a point in the story where he wanted to ask a question but never did. There wasn't one. Then he tried replaying the entire day. There were a lot of parts he didn't remember too well, but there was one thing he said that seemed to stick out.

_"Like you do?"_

He knew that question was important, but he couldn't remember what caused him to ask it. Cosmo closed his eyes and concentrated as much as he could, until he recalled how Wanda was talking about her mother before he said it.

Right. He had compared Wanda to her mother, and it had made her even more upset than she'd been when Blonda told her the news. And she never told Cosmo why.

After hearing what caused Wanda's mother to leave in the first place, Cosmo understood why the comparison would make his wife so upset. But why would she be _that_ upset by it? As far as Cosmo knew, she'd never bottled up her feelings so it hurt someone else. And judging by Wanda's remarkable sense of urgency, he didn't think she ever would. So why did it freak her out so much?

Eventually deciding that it wasn't very important if Wanda didn't mention it, Cosmo closed his eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

Wanda woke up early the next morning to the bright sun coming in through the blinds she never bothered to close the night before, feeling completely refreshed. Telling Cosmo about her mother took a lot of her mind, and even helped her understand the situation. She was even a little excited about seeing her again. 

With a cheerful attitude, Wanda untangled herself from her husband's arms and used her wand to put on a robe. When she opened the door and flew into the living room, she found her sister sitting on the couch and drumming her fingers on the coffee table.

"I need to stop dropping in like this, I know," Blonda said when she noticed Wanda in the room. "But I'm so nervous for tonight_ already_ and... well, nobody makes tea like you do."

Wanda rolled her eyes and conjured a hot cup of green tea for her sister.

"Thanks," Blonda said, taking a sip. "And besides that, Daddy told me about Cosmo and, you know. How'd that go?"

"Fine," Wanda answered as she joined Blonda on the sofa. "I explained everything I could and then we went to sleep."

"And he actually understood everything?"

Choosing to ignore the catty undertones to her sister's remark, Wanda nodded.

"Wow, really?" Blonda asked, sounding genuinely shocked. "_I_ barely get half of it. Especially why Mom chose to come back now."

"I guess it just took her a while to realize what she was missing," Wanda replied.

"Hmm..." Blonda took another sip of tea.

"Is she still glad she's back, Blonda?" Wanda asked.

Blonda smiled. "Oh, Wanda, things are going _so_ well. They're sleeping in the same bed, they're talking to each other like nothing ever happened, Daddy even brought her to _work_ with him yesterday afternoon! It's just like it used to be, Wanda. It's _great_!"

Inwardly, Wanda breathed a sigh of relief. That was definitely a good sign. A_great_ sign, to put it like her sister had. The night before, Wanda had debated mentioning to Cosmo her theory that their marriage would eventually crumble, but never did because of how well she'd heard things were going. Now that she had opinions from two sources, she knew she'd made the right decision.

"Well,_ you're_ attitude has certainly changed."

Wanda didn't notice she'd been grinning until her sister made that comment. "Yesterday I needed time to let it sink in. Now that it has--"

"You think I'm right," Blonda interrupted. "Great! I really didn't want to argue with you over this. So, do you want to come back with me and see Mom? She _really_ wants to talk to you, you know."

Wanda didn't react to that the way her sister probably wanted her to. Yes, she was ready to see her mother, but she wasn't ready to actually speak to her just yet. How could she? She hadn't even thought about how she'd talk to her mother. The thought of speaking to the woman without a mental script seemed to be the equivalent to trying to fly without wings.

"Blonda, I--"

"Don't even bother, I can see it right in your face," Blonda interrupted again. "You aren't ready. Whatever. Just come to the play a little early tonight. You can talk to her there."

"Do you think she'll mind?" Wanda asked, unsure of why she cared.

"I don't think so," Blonda answered, sipping her tea. "I mean, it's not like this is your last chance."

Wanda smiled. "Exactly."

Blonda smiled back, setting her cup down on the table. "I'm _so_ nervous for tonight, Wanda. I mean, I was nervous already, of course. But now that Mom is going to be there it's just... insane. I really want her to be proud of me."

"Why _did _you get into acting, Blonda?" Wanda asked. It was something she was always curious about but never got around to learning.

The blonde fairy started looking a little uncomfortable. "Promise you won't laugh?"

Wanda nodded.

"Well..." Blonda cast her eyes down to the floor. "I figured that when Mom left, she'd left to pursue _her_ acting career, so I wanted to do the same thing so if I ever did make it I would find her at... I don't know, some celebrity party or something."

Wanda was amazed at her twin's confidence in their mother. All her life, she'd seen the woman as the type who wanted success more than anything, but was too preoccupied with other people's success to find it herself. Was she missing something? Some thing her mother did to make Blonda see her as someone who would make something of herself? Or was Wanda just looking to closely at the bad things her mother had done?

Blonda looked up at her sister. "Did you ever think things like that? About finding Mom, I mean."

"I..." Wanda thought back to her childhood. Was the ever a point where she wanted to see her mother? "I guess I might have. When she first left. But my thoughts about it weren't as elaborate as yours must have been."

"Yeah, I'm kind of a dreamer," Blonda blushed. She picked up her cup of tea and sipped again. "I'm so glad we can talk like this, Wanda. It's such a step up from when we were kids, you know?"

"I'm glad, too," Wanda smiled. She never thought she'd think it, but she honestly couldn't imagine going through what she was going through without Blonda's blind optimism and incessant talking.

"I guess I'll get going now," Blonda said. "There's still so much to do before tonight, and I'm sure you have stuff to do, too. So... I'll see you later."

Wanda couldn't help chuckling at her sister's obvious nervousness when as she said "before tonight". "Blonda, relax. If I know you, you're more ready than anyone else in the cast."

Blonda laughed. "You're probably right," she said. "Promise you'll be there early enough?"

"Promise."

"Okay," Blonda said. She smiled as she poofed herself out of the apartment.

* * *

"Cosmo, _please_ hurry up!" Wanda called to her husband. He was in the bathroom, attempting to control his messy hair. "It doesn't take _me_ this long to get ready!" 

Wanda sighed and looked at her watch. They were way passed being early. She didn't mean to break her promise to her sister; in fact, she'd even been ready soon enough to get to the playhouse an hour early. But Cosmo was a little more sidetracked than she'd counted on, and they ended up having a bit of "fun" instead of leaving.

Cosmo appeared from bathroom. "I'm sorry, Wanda," he said somewhat sheepishly. "I just wanted to make sure I looked... what was that word you used before?"

"Presentable?"

"Yeah! I just wanted to make sure I looked presentable."

"Cosmo, I meant your clothes when I said that."

"I know," he answered. "But since I'm meeting your mother tonight, I wanted to look extra nice."

Wanda smiled. "Thinking about my dad's reaction when he met you?"

Cosmo nodded.

Wanda flew over to her husband and kissed him on the cheek. "You're such a sweetheart, you know that?" After seeing Cosmo's big smile, she added on, "_Way _nicer than Wandissimo ever was."

"Good!" Cosmo said proudly.

Wanda laughed.

Cosmo looked directly into Wanda's eyes. "He never was nice enough to you."

The couple came together in a passionate kiss, which Wanda reluctantly broke when the alarm on her watch started beeping. "We really have to leave now, Cosmo," she said, silencing the alarm. "Blonda's probably already upset that we didn't come early. She'll be even madder if we come in during the first scene."

Cosmo frowned.

"We'll finish this later," Wanda smiled slyly. "I promise."

Instantly, Cosmo started smiling. "Okay!"

With that, the couple left their apartment to go to the playhouse.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **There's really no excuse for the break between chapters. I can finally write and upload on the same computer, which I thought would make me more excited to update this, but it had the complete opposite effect for some reason. And I thought this was going to be such an easy chapter to write. Truth be told, I don't like it all that much, but this is the part of the story I really wanted to get to in the first place, so I'm glad to finally have it finished.

I got a few reviews that mentioned how out of character Blonda was in the last chapter. I said it to one of you, and now I'm going to say it to all of you here; that was _completely _intentional and it _will_ be justified in a later chapter, I promise. Actually, I think I pretty much ended that in this chapter.

By the way, sorry the first and last scenes are so short. I think I covered enough with just a few sentences. If you guys think they need more, I'll go back and add some.

That's it for this author's note. Hope your 2008 is off to a great start!

**Chapter Five - Do You Really Think _That _is Star Material?  
**

Wanda tried as hard as she could to pay attention to her sister's performance, but as long as she could see her mother's face, she wasn't going to look at anything else.

The light wasn't very bright, of course. But the woman was close enough to the stage to catch enough of it. And Wanda didn't like what she saw one bit. Every time Blonda spoke, Amalia became angrier and angrier.

She couldn't really be mad, could she? No, of course not. Things were different now. She only looked angry because of the shadow over her face. That had to be it.

Right?

* * *

By the time the play was over, Cosmo was seriously questioning the purpose of dressing so neatly. The playhouse was too dark for anyone to see him during the production, and nobody seemed very interested in him afterwards. 

"There you are," Big Daddy said as he and the woman Cosmo assumed was Wanda's mother flew up to him and Wanda.

"Blonda's not mad, is she?" Wanda asked, avoiding looking at the lady Big Daddy was with. She was studying Wanda rather intensely, and Cosmo could tell his wife noticed.

"She was so preoccupied, I doubt she even knew you weren't here."

"Hmm…"

Nothing was said for a while, and Cosmo used the silence as an opportunity to look this strange woman over. Wanda had told Cosmo that her mother was a pretty woman, from what she remembered. Cosmo just didn't see it. There was something about this woman that he didn't like. Something in her eyes.

"You look good, Wanda," the woman said. There was a harshness to her voice that Cosmo didn't like.

"You look good, too," Wanda answered, putting on an almost painful smile.

Something was wrong. Wanda seemed so much happier about her mother when she and Cosmo left the apartment. Why wasn't she happy now?

Blonda, seemingly coming from nowhere, rushed up to join the group. "That was the most _thrilling_ moment of my life! Sure, I was nervous at first, but as soon as the lights came up… wow!"

Big Daddy kissed Blonda on the cheek. "You were fantastic, sweetheart."

"I'll say!" Cosmo agreed cheerfully, momentarily forgetting about the awkward reunion going on next to him. "And I didn't even understand half of what was going on!"

Blonda ignored Cosmo and floated towards her mother and Wanda. "So, what did you think, Mom? You being the one with experience and all."

"Lovely, dear," the woman answered in a blasé tone. Blonda didn't seem to notice, but Wanda sure did, and the look on her face switched from numbness to anger faster than you could imagine.

Big Daddy cleared his throat. "You know, Amalia…" he started to say, but he was cut off when someone else joined the group.

"Ah, Blonda, there you are. The director told me I'd probably find you here. I'm—"

"Roger Parker!" Amalia finished for him. "I haven't seen you in ages! How've you been?"

Roger stared at her blankly. "I'm sorry, have we met?"

"I… I worked for your studio for years. I must have auditioned for you a hundred times. Surely you must—"

"Whatever. Blonda, what would you say if I told you that we're looking for fresh faces for a new show down at the station, and I think you'd be perfect as the female lead."

Blonda was stunned. "I'd… I'd say it's a dream come true!"

"Doesn't she have to audition first?" Amalia asked, raising an eyebrow at the man.

"I just sat through an entire play. I don't think I need to see her again."

"But… but you can't do that! You never considered _anyone_ without an audition first. You can't just whisk her off into the spotlight without giving someone else a fair shot!"

"Look, lady, I've seen tons of girls for this part already, and Blonda is the first one who's come close to what I'm looking for."

Amalia continued in a shaky voice. "She didn't even read for the role you're casting!"

"Do I look like I care?"

Wanda grabbed for Cosmo's hand, and he could feel it trembling ever so slightly.

"I don't believe this! I bent over backwards for you people for _years_ and got nothing. And now you're giving a starring role to someone you've never even met? How can you be sure she'll be right for this? I mean, just look at her! Do you really think _that_ is star material?"

The changes in facial expressions seemed to happen all at once. Big Daddy's face showed pure anger, matching the one his wife was portraying. Blonda was shocked, her eyes misting over with tears. Wanda, clutching onto Cosmo's hand even tighter, looked nothing short of horrified. And Roger Parker… just looked bored. "Are you finished now?"

"No! No, I'm not!" Amalia spun around to face her blonde daughter. "Don't you _dare_ accept this role, Blonda. Do you hear me?"

Big Daddy abbreviated what Cosmo was sure would be a long, angry lecture. "You have _no right_ to speak to my daughter like that!"

"_Your_ daughter?" Amalia yelled, getting red in the face. "Where were _you_ when _your _daughter was home from school for a week with the flu? Where were _you _when _your_ daughter was keeping _me_ from auditioning for what _would've_ been my breakthrough role? I'll _tell_ you where you were! _You_ were out living your dreams and letting _your_ daughters crap _all over _mine!"

Now it was Cosmo's turn to look horrified, though no one seemed to notice. He couldn't believe a woman would talk about her own family like that, and they hadn't even done anything to her according to Wanda's story. Cosmo was beginning to see why Wanda was hesitant to let her mother back into her life, and why she thought her father and sister should have been, too.

Amalia continued her speech to her husband. "I can't believe I ever wanted to come back to this _bullshit_ family! All you ever did was rub your success in my face! Whether it be you with your stupid garbage business or Blonda with her stupid school plays or Wanda with her stupid grades..."

Upon hearing the phrase "stupid grades", Cosmo was ready to yell right back at Amalia. He _knew_ Wanda would never intentionally make someone feel inferior to her, and he wanted more than anything to tell her mother that. Before he got the chance, Amalia spoke again.

"You know what? I'm done with it. _Done_. I can rebuild my life without you assholes standing in my way." She rose her wand to poof herself away. "I hope you all _burn in hell_!"

"They can't!" Cosmo yelled back without thinking. "Because fairies are immortal. So there!"

With an aggravated "Ugh!", Amalia left the playhouse.

Wanda let go of Cosmo's hand and leaned against the wall behind her, while Blonda and Big Daddy stared sadly at the spot where Amalia had floated. Roger Parker seemed less than impressed. "Well. That was interesting. So, Blonda, what do you say you come by the studio tomorrow morning. Say, ten-ish? I think everyone's going to be really impressed with you."

Blonda turned around to face the casting director. Suddenly smiling, she said, "I'll be there."

"Great!" Roger said, and shook the blonde's hand eagerly before poofing out of the room.

Blonda turned towards Cosmo. "This has been one hell of a night, huh?"

"Uh..."

Not waiting for a response, Blonda left the room, too. Big Daddy, had also left by then, leaving Cosmo alone with his wife in the playhouse.

Cosmo studied Wanda for a moment. In all the time he'd known her, he'd never seen her look so… horrible. Her face had gone completely pale, and she seemed unable to blink at a normal rate.

"Wanda?" Cosmo asked gently. "Are you okay?"

Without answering, Wanda, too, made an exit.

* * *

Cosmo was back in the apartment, alone and worried. It had been at least and hour since he stopped looking for Wanda, and there was still no sign of her. 

_What would a good husband be doing right now?_ Cosmo asked himself for what he was sure was the millionth time. _Should I go out and look again? Should I wait here until she comes back? Should I—_

Cosmo's thoughts were interrupted when Wanda poofed into the room.

"Wanda, there you are!" Cosmo exclaimed, relieved. "I was so worried and—"

"Cosmo," Wanda stopped her husband, "I want a divorce."


End file.
